~ … He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream…for it does not cease to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8

Who is Blind?

I’ve been studying the book of John over the past several months. One story that sticks out to me is the account of the man who was born blind. It is interesting to me how these Pharisees literally refused to accept this man’s testimony that he had been healed.

The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar were saying, "Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?" Some said, "It is he." Others said, "No, but he is like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." So they said to him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed and received my sight." (John 9:8-11)

That is a pretty plain and simple, cut and dried explanation of how it happened and yet their pride would not allow them to accept this. They asked him again and again. Even going so far as to inquiring his parents about him.

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight, until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind. But how he now sees we do not know, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself." (John 9:18-21)

PRIDE once again. After questioning the man twice and hearing the account they could not accept they ended the whole conversation with this;

And they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man answered, "Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. (John 9:27-34)

Pride darkens our ability to see the truth. We are in the way. They stood on their pride rather than what was clearly before them, a man born blind given site by Jesus, the Son of God. In healing the blind man, Jesus clearly shows the blindness of the Pharisees.

The beautiful thing about all of this is that Jesus heard they had cast the man out so he found him. Offering salvation and he believed.

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?" Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you." He said, "Lord, I believe," and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38)

We need to realize our darkness, our blindness before Christ saved us. He came to us, knowing we were cast out and away from the Father. We had no way to get to the Father; we were blind in our sin. Jesus found us, like the blind man, showed us our sin, opened our eyes to Him and we believed and were saved! Oh, how we need to worship Him like that once-blind man must have worshipped him on that glorious day when he received his sight!